It’s been a while since I posted a tutorial on how I take my shrimp photos. And, my gear has changed slightly from the last one. So without further ado, here’s my current setup.
GEAR:
-iPhone 17 Pro Max
-APEXEL MS001 100X LED Cell Phone Microscope Lens
-Metal clamp lights
-Multiple super bright LED light bulbs, daylight color preferred
NOTE: The focal distance of the lens attachment is /very/ small.
In order to capture clear photos of your shrimp (or other aquarium critters) with this setup, you need to entice your subjects right up to the front of your glass and try to get them to be rather stationary.
The best method I have found to achieve this is to crush their food into dust and crumbles, then add it to a small container. Pour in a little fresh water, stir it all together, and finally use a clean pipette to administer the food to a location along your glass you wish to use as your photo background / landscape.
I typically use three bright LED daylight bulbs (the heat from regular lightbulbs will toast your critters, so LED only!) in those metal clamp lights and arrange them around the tank (right, left, top). Play with how your photos look with just one light on. Try a different light and check your results. Then try combos, eventually turning all three on. Figure out which lighting setup you prefer for the image(s) you are currently trying to take.
You can also adjust a few settings on your phone camera. I play around with depth of field, and exposure. You may also want to adjust your Tones and Styles (if on an iPhone – you may have to figure out what they are called on other phone brands).
Typically, I keep the lens flat on the glass. However, this particular lens allows you to rotate your phone a /minuscule/ amount away from the glass while you are trying to find the right focus. My previous setup did not allow for this, as you would pick up distortion from the glass when trying to photograph things at an angle.
I’ve included photos of my gear as well as some of my recent shrimp pics, and a few ID images I put together at the end.
I hope at least a few folks found this informative.
Happy snapping! Feel free to post some of your best results in the comments.
-Cass / Xenniel_X
(Yes, I’m a woman.😋)
Posted by Xenniel_X